Current Affairs of 19 December 2015

Daily Current Affairs contains all major news that occurs National and International Level.It will helpful for those students who are preparing for Bank Exams- IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam , SSC Exams and all other competitive exams .

1. India’s biggest Wildlife Rescue Centre named as Gorewada Zoo and Wildlife Rescue Centre has been commissioned at Gorewada near Nagpur, Maharashtra.

2. The centre was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in presence of State Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.

3. Gorewada Zoo and Wildlife Rescue Centre is managed by the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). Nagpur based Maharashtra Animal and Fisheries (MAF) University is also part of this centre.

2. Uttar Pradesh government bans use of polythene bags across the State

1. Uttar Pradesh government has decided to enforce the ban on the use of polythene across the state to protect the environment and public health. Decision in this regard was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as per the directives of Allahabad High Court to prohibit its usage.

2. The ban prohibits manufacturing, importing, purchasing and storage of all kinds of plastic carry bags in state. Henceforth, no shopkeeper, wholesaler or retailer in the state would be able to use, store or purchase plastic carry bags for eatable or non-eatable items.

2. He was instrumental in the establishment of Rasaranjani, a popular literary and cultural organisation dedicated to the theatre arts.

4. ERGO to increase stake in JV with HDFC

1. German insurer ERGO Insurance Group has decided to increase its stake in its Indian general insurance joint venture with Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC) to 49 from 26 per cent. ERGO will buy the additional 23 per cent stake for Rs 1,122 crore.

1. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a resolution No. 2254 outlining a peace process in Syria. The resolution endorses an international roadmap for a Syria peace process to end Syria’s five-year-long civil war.

2. The resolution endorses formal talks on a political transition between the President Bashar al-Assad led Syrian government and opposition in early January 2016. Calls for implementation of a ceasefire in parallel with the talks on a political transition.

6. British Novelist Peter Dickinson passed away

1. British Novelist Peter Dickinson passed away on 16 December 2015 following a brief illness in Winchester, Hampshire. He was 88. He was a prolific novelist for adults and children.

2. He had the distinction of being the first author to receive twice the prestigious Carnegie medal awarded annually in Britain by librarians for the outstanding new children's book.

7. Jeff Williams appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Apple Inc

Jeff Williams was on 18 December 2015 appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Apple Inc. The post of COO of the company had been lying vacant since Tim Cook's ascension to position of Chief Executive Officer of Apple Inc in 2011.

Williams has been working with Apple Inc for about 17 years.

8. West Bengal Government approves proposal for formation of 5 new districts

1. West Bengal Government has approved proposal for formation of five new districts in the state. With this the total number of districts of Bengal will increase to 25. Decision in this regard was taken by state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

2. Five new districts are

Kalimpong district: It would be carved out by bifurcating Darjeeling district in north Bengal.

Sundarbans district: Currently stretches across parts of the North and South 24 Parganas districts. It shall consists of part of world’s largest mangrove forest.

Basirhat district: It would be formed out of North 24 Parganas district.

Burdwan (Industrial) district: It would be established by bifurcating existing Burdwan district.

Jhargram district: It will be carved out of West Midnapore district

9. American University announces APJ Abdul Kalam Fellowship for Indian students

1. The University of South Florida (USF) has announced a postgraduate fellowship in the name of former president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam to support accomplished and talented Indian students looking to study abroad.

2. Launching the fellowship at the Global Higher Education summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), USF provost Ralph Wilcox said "Dr. Kalam left an indelible mark on the academic community, one that will now continue over time through this most prestigious Kalam Fellowship".

3. The fellowship is open to Indian students who wish to pursue PhD in specified fields in science and engineering at USF. Fellowship holders will receive a tuition waiver amounting to $84,500 in four years, plus a stipend of $18,000 per year. With this fellowship in place, the university is also looking to have a larger enrolment of Indian students, making US their preferred country for higher education. (USF currently has 800 Indian students.)The fellowship will be effective from the next academi.

1. Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 15 December 2015 appointed a single-member committee to look into the dispute between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) on Krishna Godavari (KG) gas fields. The committee will be headed by the Chairman of the 20th Law Commission of India Justice (retd) Ajit Prakash Shah.

2. The committee will look into acts of omission and commission and recommend compensation to ONGC from the RIL on account of undue advantage the latter has received due to enrichment of its gas fields from the adjacent blocks belonging to ONGC.

1. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received Garwood Award for ‘Outstanding Global Leader in Open Innovation’ from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business today (December 17, 2015) at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prof. Solomon Darwin, Executive Director Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation presented the award to the President.

2. The University of California, Berkeley, one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the world, has established the Garwood Award to acknowledge individuals who have embraced, supported and encouraged open innovation in a significant and impactful way.